Why in News?

  • Hezbollah is reportedly using fiber-optic drones in attacksagainst Israel.
  • These drones are difficult to stop because they cannot be easily jammed through electronic warfare systems.
  • The technology was earlier widely used during the Russia-Ukraine War.

WHAT ARE FIBRE OPTIC DRONES?

  • Fiber-optic drones are drones controlled through very thin fiber-optic cables instead ofnormal radio signals.
  • The cables are:
    • Extremely thin
    • Nearly invisible
    • Similar in width to dental floss

WHY ARE THEY HARD TO DETECT?

Immune to Electronic Jamming
  • Traditional drones depend on radio signals.
  • Those signals can often be blocked or jammed electronically.
  • Fiber-optic drones do not rely on radio communication.
  • As a result, electronic jamming systems become ineffective.
Hard to Detect According to drone experts:
  • The drones fly:
    • Very low
    • Very fast
  • They are also:
    • Small in size
    • Difficult to track
    • Difficult to intercept
Difficult Interception
  • Israel would need to:
    • Physically intercept the drone
    • Or cut the nearly invisible fiber-optic cable
  • Both tasks are extremely challenging during active combat.

EXPERT OBSERVATIONS & CONCERNS

Robert Tollast’s View
  • Drone expert Robert Tollast stated that:
    • If operated properly, these drones can be “absolutely deadly.”
  • He also noted that:
    • Russia and Ukraine have used many types of drones on a massive scale.
Israeli Concerns
  • Former Israeli air defence commander Ran Kochav admitted that Israel is struggling to counter such drones
  • He stated that:
    • The drones are very hard to detect and track.
    • Israel focused more on missile and rocket defence systems and paid less attention to drone threats.

ORIGIN OF THE TECHNOLOGY

  • Fiber-optic drones became prominent during the Russia-Ukraine War
  • The technology was developed to bypass electronic jamming systems used in warfare.
Large-Scale Use in Ukraine
  • The drones were used extensively by both Russia and Ukraine.
  • Fiber-optic cables reportedly stretched up to:
    • 50 kilometres
  • In some frontline areas, the cables covered entire fields like spiderwebs.

HEZBOLLAH’S USE OF THE DRONES

  • Hezbollah has released videos of attacks using these drones through:
    • Social media platforms
    • Al-Manar TV
Reported Attacks
  • One attack reportedly:
    • Killed an Israeli soldier
    • Injured six others
  • Another attack reportedly killed an Israeli civilian.
  • Attack on Rescue Helicopter: In one incident:
    • A second drone targeted a military helicopter arriving to evacuate injured soldiers.
    • The drone narrowly missed the helicopter.

ISRAELI DRONE OPERATIONS

  • Israel also operates a large drone fleet for:
    • Surveillance
    • Air strikes
    • Monitoring Hezbollah movements
  • Hezbollah officially announced the use of fiber-optic drones on March 2 during a phase of fighting.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DEVELOPMENT

Changing Nature of Warfare
  • The conflict shows how modern wars increasingly depend on:
    • Drone technology
    • Artificial intelligence
    • Electronic warfare systems
Rise of Low-Cost Precision Weapons
  • Small drones can cause serious military damage at relatively low cost.
Lessons from Ukraine War
  • Technologies developed during one conflict are now spreading to other regions.
CHALLENGE FOR THE AIR DEFENCE SYSTEMS Traditional missile defence systems may not be fully effective against:
  • Small
  • Fast
  • Low-flying drones

CONCLUSION

  • The use of fiber-optic drones by Hezbollah highlights the growing importance of dronewarfare in modern conflicts.
  • These drones are difficult to jam, track and intercept, creating major security challengesfor Israel.
  • The development also reflects how technologies from the Russia-Ukraine war are influencing conflicts in other parts of the world.